Swaging machine



C. K. LE FIELL SWAGING MACHINE Feb. 14, 1967 6 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed Feb. 19, 1964 WRQ INVENTOR. 656/4 K (ff/62L JmMQ Feb 14, 1967 c. K. LE FlELL SWAGING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 19, 1964 Him I NVENTOR.

Feb. 14, 1967 c. K. LE FIELL SWAGING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 19, 1964 INVENTOR.

Arm/915% SWAGING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 19, 1964 l NVEN TOR.

Feb. 14, 1967 c. K. LE FlELL 3,303,531

SWAGING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 u NNN/ i w bhN 0 ..|1!1 :2 M

INVENTOR.

Cid?! K [63 7624 ATTO/Q/Vfy United States Patent Ofiice 3,303,681 SWAGING MACHINE Cecil K. Le Fiell, Whittier, Calif, assignor to Le Fiell Manufacturing Company, Santa Fe Springs, Calif, a corporation of California Filed Feb. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 345,961 16 Claims. (Cl. 72-76) This invention relates to the art of cold metal forming and particularly to swaging machines.

This type of machine tool receives bar or tubular stock and applies thereto a circumferentially balanced rapid hammering or squeezing action through a multiple of dies converging radially on the work so as to both reduce the outside diameter of the work and lengthen the same. These machines have proved highly versatile in the variety of cold metal working operations which can be advantageously performed thereby.

Machine tool builders, the World over, vie with each other in the improvement of swaging machines. One type of swaging machine which has come into wide use and is offered competitively, is the rotary head swaging machine in which the dies are mounted in a rotary head which rotates about the Work within a circumferentially arranged series of rollers which simultaneously cam the dies inward against the work, as the dies are rotating. The number of swaging operations produced during each revolution of the rotary head depend upon the number of rollers provided which must always be an even multiple of the number of dies.

This type of machine causes the dies to strike the work at a high velocity thus producing what is referred to as hammer or impact swaging. The merits of this machine notwithstanding, it has been recognized in theory and proven in actual practice that a yet superior swaging product is obtained where the impact between the dies and the work is minimized and dependence for swaging is placed primarily upon a squeezing action.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a swaging machine in which the swaging is accomplished by a closely controlled squeezing action by the dies on the work.

In conventional swaging machines, the line contact be tween the cam rollers and the frame roller race on the one hand and between the cam rollers and the dies on the 3,303,581 Patented Feb. 14, 1967 A yet further object of the invention is to provide ari improved swaging machine in which the innermost and outermost limits of movement of the dies may be readily adjusted during the operation of the machine to facilitate producing a wide variety of tapers or longitudinal transmissions in work fed to said machine.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a swaging machine having a novel hydraulic work feeding and control system rendering the machine readily responsive to power control thus speeding up the operation and relieving the operator of fatigue.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide such a swaging machine as above indicated embodying means for progressively automatically varying the minimum spacing of the die faces of the machine coordinately with the feeding of the work through the machine to invest the work with a precisely predetermined longitudinal profile.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as well as further objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a preferred embodiment of the swaging machine of the present invention including a hydraulic work feed and die spacing control mechanism with which said machine is preferably equipped.

FIG. 1A is a diagrammatic sectional view of a control valve embodied in said mechanism.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1 and illustrates the oscillating die holder drive means and the mechanism for hydraulically changing the spacing of the die faces from the swaging axis.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and illustrates a novel adjustable other hand, concentrates the compressive forces employed 7 for delivering the dies against the work in very small areas at any given moment. This does two things. First, it substantially limits the amount of compressive force with which each die can be delivered against the work with a swaging machine of a given weight, because, to increase the diameter and length of the cam rollers, the entire machine must be correspondingly enlarged. Secondly, it causes an accelerated wear of the line contacting surfaces through which the compressive forces are applied to the dies to deliver these against the work, which renders relatively frequent overhaul necessary to maintain the capacity of the machine for precision production.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a swaging machine in which ample bearing surfaces, greatly in excess of the line surfaces above noted, are provided for transmission of the converging compressive forces to the dies and delivering these against the work, without requiring a corresponding increase in the size of the machine.

In the rotary head swaging machine the head of the machine, which is quite heavy, must be delicately balanced and supported for rotation at several hundred r.p.m.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved swaging machine in which the die holder does not rotate but merely oscillates.

work and mandrel support for preventing these buckling when being fed to said machine.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and comprises a face view of the main frame or housing of the invention with parts thereof broken away to illustrate other parts normally hidden.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4 and illustrates the internal construction of the invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5 and illustrates one of the toggle links of the invention extended to its dead center position which takes place at one extreme of each of the oscillations of the die holder of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 and shows a toggle link of the invention at the other extreme of each oscillation of the die holder which causes the die associated with said toggle link to be withdrawn radially from the position in which it is shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view of a portion of FIG. 5 showing the die spacing control wedges one of which is illustrated in the latter view shifted axially by the hydraulic mechanism controlling the same so as to increase the minimum spacings of the faces of the dies of the machine from the swaging axis.

FIGS. 9, 10, ll, 12, l3, l4 and 15 are diagrammatic views illustrating a few of the multitude of various types of swaging operations which the invention is adapted to perform.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the invention is there diagrammatically illustrated as comprising a swaging machine 20 which is driven by an electric motor 21 and is equipped with a hydraulically powered work and mandrel feed and die spacing control mechanism 22.

The machine 20 includes a massive frame 23 including a massive approximately square housing 24 of steel with the corners rounded off to form flat faces 25 which are disposed normal to the diagonals 26 of said square. The line 27 which is normal to housing 24 and passes through the point of intersection of said diagonals constitutes the swaging axis of the machine 20.

The housing 24 is supported vertically upon a suitable foundation bed 28 and has parallel vertical faces 29 and 30. United with the housing 24 as by welding or being cast integral therewith and extending horizontally from housing face 29 concentric with axis 27, is a massive tubular bearing 35 having a bore 36 which is a continuation of a bore 37 provided in the housing 24 which has a relatively deep counterbore 38. The bores 36 and 37 are lined with bearing sleeve means 39 while the radial shoulder 40 provided by the counterbore 38 has fixed thereto an annular radial wear plate 41.

The union between the tubular bearing 35 and steel housing 24 is reinforced by gusset plates 42.

Formed in the housing 24 by cutting into the face 30 thereof along the diagonals 26 and extending radially outwardly from the counterbore 38 are blind guide channels 43, that is: which are blind at their outer ends, where these channels terminate in a flat end face 44 leaving a massive peripheral portion of the material of the housing 24 between said flat end face 44 and the flat peripheral face 25 of the housing 24 disposed parallel with and just outwardly therefrom. These peripheral portions of the housing 24 comprise pressure confining shoulders 45 which, being integral with the housing 24, offer massive resistance to any radial expansion of the blind guide channels 43 due to pressure placed by the operation of the machine 20 on the flat end faces 44 of said channels. The shoulders 45 have radial holes 50 bored therethrough which pass through the centers of channel end faces 44. Secured to flat end faces 44 are wear plates 51 while secured to the side faces of channels 43 are wear plates 52. Fixed on bottom faces of channels 43 are wear plates 53.

Secured to the face 30 of housing 24 by cap screws 54 is an annular plate 55 which overlies radially inward portions of the guide channels 43 and is provided with wear plates 56 which are recessed into the inner face of said plate adjacent its outer edge in opposed relation with the wear plates 53.

Formed in the housing 24 parallel with the axis 27 so as to communicate with the outer blind end of each of the channels 43 and extend therefrom through the face 29 of said housing is a hole 57, each of these holes having a recess 58 at its juncture with the adjacent channel 43 for accommodating the narrow end of a wedge 59 having a threaded stem 60 which extends outwardly through hole 57 and has screwed thereon an internally threaded sprocket 61 having an external annular groove 65 into which sprocket retaining annular flanges 66 extend, which flanges are secured to housing 24 by bolts 68.

Each wedge 59 has a flat outer face 69 parallel with axis 27, a flat inclined inner face 70 and a radial slot 71 aligned with the axis 27 and extending radially through said wedge.

Rotatably mounted in the bearing 35 and the counterbore 38 for rapid oscillation through a small angle is a die holder 72 including a die holding head 73 which closely fits the counterbore 38 and a hollow stem 74 which journals in bearing 35 and is united with head 73. A bore 75 extends entirely through the die holder 72. The back face of head 73 bears flush against annular wear plate 41 and the front face of said head has an annular plate 80 secured thereto by bolts 81. The die holding head 73, which includes the annular plate 80, has radially formed therein four die guide channels 82 which are lined with opposed pairs of wear plates 83 and 84, are rectangular in cross section, are of the same size as-the aforementioned blind guide channels 43 and have the same circumferential spacing as the latter channels, which is to say they are uniformly circumferentially spaced from each other.

It is also to be noted that each of the guide channels 82 is always approximately aligned with a corresponding one of the blind guide channels 43, each of the aforesaid oscillations of said die holder 72 bringing all four of these radially associated pairs of guide channels simultaneously into radial alignment at some point in said oscillation. In the preferred manner of operating the machine 20 as this is disclosed herein, this alignment of the pairs of guide lchanne'ls takes place as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 at one extremity of each oscillation. For a reason to be pointed out hereinafter, the side faces of blind guide channels 43 disposed radially inwardly from wear plates 52 mounted thereon, are recessed as at 85 and 86.

While basically, the present invention is adapted to operate with two or more dies, there are certain advantages in using four dies and the swaging machine 20 is a four die machine and has four dies 87. These dies are respectively slidably mounted in the die guide channels 82 so as to be radially slidable in converging relation with each other whereby they are adapted to meet in contact as shown in FIG. 6 which normally takes place only when the machine is properly adjusted for this and, of course, represents the minimum spaced relation of the swaging faces 88 of said dies with respect to the swaging axis 27 of the machine 20.

Each die 87 is the innermost element of an operating assembly 89 of elements through which said die is rapidly reciprocated in the operation of the machine 20 between, for instance, the inward position shown for said die in FIG. 6 and an outward position such as that shown in FIG. 7.

Each assembly 89 occupies one of the die guide channels 82 and its corresponding blind guide channel 43 and the radial hole 50 aligned with the latter, and includes the die 87 belonging to that assembly, a radially apertured inner bearing block 90, a radially apertured toggle link 95, and a radially apertured outer bearing block 96 hav'= ing an inclined outer face 97 which matches the inclined inner face 70 of the wedge 58 occupying the blind end portion of said blind guide channel 43. The assembly 89 being described also includes the aforesaid wedge 58 and a flexible tension element 98 which binds all of the other elements of said assembly 89 together and holds them constantly in contact with each other.

The element 98 includes a flexible cable 99 opposite ends of which are united by swaging to a threaded stud 100 and to a threaded rod 101 having a squared outer end 102. With the elements above described of an assembly 89 (excepting element 98) assembled as shown in FIG. 5, the flexible tension element 98 of said assembly is extended inwardly through hole 50 provided therefor, the slot 71 of wedge 58, and the radial apertures provided in outer bearing block 96, toggle link and inner bearing block 90, and a wrench is applied to the squared end 102 and element 98 rotated, whereby the threaded stud is screwed into a tapped hole radially provided in the die 87 of said assembly as shown in FIG. 5 so that the inner end of said tension element 98 is anchored to said die. When this has been done, the threaded rod 101 extends outwardly from its radial hole 50 beyond the flat face 25 in which said hole is formed, and a coiled expansion spring 103 and a washer 104 are placed over said rod and nuts 105 applied thereto so as to place tension element 98 under tension and yieldably hold all of the elements of this assembly 89 snugly into contact with each other.

Each toggle link 95 has relatively large semi-cylindrical bearing faces 106 at its opposite ends as compared to the length of the link. These faces are kept in engagement with and rotatably bear against arcuate centrally apertured bronze bearing plates 110 which are mounted in correspondingly shaped recesses provided in inner and outer bearing blocks 90 and 96. The radial aperture 111 provided in each of the toggle links 95 is X-shaped as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 so that this link is free to oscillate to the extreme limit for which the machine is designed as shown in FIG. 7 without causing the flexible cable 99 passing through this aperture to be engaged by a wall of the latter.

Trained about the four sprockets 60 is an endless chain 112, for the accommodation of which holes 113 are provided in gusset plates 42. Fixed on one of the horizontal gusset plates are horizontal plates 114 and 115 on which are mounted respectively a speed reducer 116 and a hydraulic motor 117 the input and output shafts respectively of which are aligned and connected by a coupling 118. The speed reducer 116 has an output shaft 119 on which a drive sprocket 120 is mounted which meshes with the endless chain 112 so that actuation of the hydraulic motor 117 produces rotation of all of the sprockets 60 at a uniform relatively low rate. The speed reducer 116 is slidably mounted on the horizontal plate 114 and adjustable by a screw 125 to maintain the endless chain 112 properly tensioned.

The hollow stem 74 of the die holder 72 extends from the outer end of bearing 35 and has mounted thereon an oscillating arm 126 which is secured against rotation by a key 127. The outer end of arm 126 is pivotally connected to an adjustable connecting rod 128 having a bearing 129 at its lower end which journals on an eccentric 130 provided on a shaft 131 which journals in bearings 132 provided on the foundation bed 28. Fixed on the outer end of shaft 131 is a large diameter multiple belt pulley 133 which is connected by multiple belts 134 to the drive pulley 135 of electric motor 21.

The feed and control mechanism 22 with which the swaging machine 20 above described is preferably equipped, is illustrated in FIG. 1. This mechanism includes a pair of parallel heavy cylindrical shafts 140 which are mounted at their opposite ends on the steel housing 24 and a steel plate 141 with said shafts disposed in the same horizontal plane as and equidistant from the swaging axis 27 of said machine. Supported at its opposite ends on the plate 141 and a pair of legs 142 and concentric with said axis, is a hydraulic feed cylinder 143. Connecting opposite ends of cylinder 143 to flow control valves 144 and 144a are operating fluid pipes 145 and 146. Liquid is drawn by a pump 147 from a reservoir 148 and delivered through a pipe 149 under high pressure to a reversing valve 150 from which liquid is delivered through pipes 151 to the flow control valves 144 and 144a. Liquid exhausted from reversing valve 150 is returned through pipe 156 to the reservoir 148.

The hydraulic feed cylinder 143 has a piston 157 which is connected to a piston rod 158 which extends through a suitable stufiing box provided in the plate 141 and connects through an end plate 159 to a work feed carriage 160 having parallel bearings 161 which slidably receive shafts 140. Rotatably mounted on carriage 160 coaxially with axis 27 and facing the swaging machine 20 is a chuck 162 which is rotably connected by a V-belt to a hydraulic motor 163 also mounted on said carriage. The pipe 149 also delivers liquid under pressure from the pump 147 through a manual shut off valve 164 to a flow control valve 165. The flow control valve 165 is connected by a hose 173 to the hydraulic motor 163 and liquid exhausted from the latter is returned through a hose 174 to the reservoir 148.

Also embraced within the mechanism 22 is an automatic profilecam-controlled means 31 for controlling the operation of hydraulic motor 117 and thereby accurately predetermining the profile imparted by dies 87 to work being fed through swaging machine 20. This means includes a profile cam responsive valve 32, the internal construction of which is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1A.

Valve 32 has a body 33 which is rigidly secured to the broad end face 34 of the upper, rear wedge 59 of machine 20. A horizontal bore 46 is provided transversely in body 33. The bore 46 is closed at its opposite ends and slidably receives a valve sleeve 47 which is open at its opposite ends and has a liquid inlet port 48 midway therebetween.

A hose nipple 49 is mounted on body 33 to communicate with port 48 and connects with one end of a hose 62, the opposite end of which is connected with hydraulic pressure line 149. Formed externally in sleeve 47 diametrically opposite from the inlet port 48 is a channel 63 forming a liquid exhaust port. Provided in body 33 in constant communication with exhaust port 63 is an exhaust passage 63a which is connected by a hose 631) with reservoir 148.

Compressed between one end of bore 46 and one end of .sleeve 47 is a strong coiled expansive spring 76. United at its ends diametrically with the opposite end of sleeve 47 is an outwardly notched crossbar 77. Journaled in a vertical bore 78 provided in body 33 is a stylus shaft 79. Fixed to said shaft so as to extend into bore 46 is a short arm 91 which fits into the notched crossbar 77. Fixed on the outer end of said shaft which extends outwardly from body 33, is a stylus arm 92 which is shown in its neutral position in FIGS. 1 and 1A.

The expansive pressure of spring 76 is constantly applied through sleeve 47, crossbar 77 and short arm 91 to shaft 79 tending to cause clockwise rotation of said shaft and arm 92. counterclockwise pressure against arm 92 is thus seen to berequired to prevent such clockwise swinging of said arm, and the manner in which such pressure is supplied will be presently described.

Valve body 33 has passages 93 and 94 which open into bore 46 just inwardly from opposite ends of sleeve 47 and just outwardly from exhaust port 63 when said sleeve is in neutral position, so that all of said ports are at that time closed by said sleeve. Movement of said sleeve the slightest distance in one direction or the other from its neutral position admits liquid under pressure exclusively into one of said passages 93 or 94 and simultaneously connects the other such passage through exhaust port 63, exhaust passage 63a and hose 63b with liquid reservoir 148. Passages 93 and 94 are connected respectively with opposite sides of hydraulic motor 117 by hoses 107 and 108, so that said motor rotates sprockets 61 counterclockwise when stylus arm 92 is allowed to swing rightward from neutral position, and clockwise when arm 92 is shifted leftward from neutral.

It should be noted that whichever direction (rightward or leftward) that stylus arm 92 is allowed (or forced) to swing from its neutral position (shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A), this results in motor 117 shifting the wedges 59 in that same direction. As the valve 32 is mounted on one of these wedges, this movement returns the stylus arm 92 of the valve to its neutral position when the wedges have traveled in said direction exactly the same distance which the stylus arm had been displaced from neutral to produce such movement. This is on the assumption that the movement of the stylus arm 92 away from neutral had been produced by an element which normally bears leftward against the right side of stylus 92 (with the latter in neutral position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A) and which was shifted that certain distance above to the rightward or leftward, as the case may be, and then halted for the time being in said shifted position.

Such an element 109 is provided in the automatic profile control means 31 and comprises a rack element which is straight and is guided by suitable means (not shown) in a path parallel with swaging axis 27 so that the sharp double-pitched left end thereof impinges from the right against an outer end portion of stylus arm 92. The opposite end portion 121 of element 109 is rounded and slidably guided by a fixed bracket 122. Coiled about rounded portion 121 of element 109 and confined by said bracket, is an expansive spring 123 which constantly urges element 109 leftwardly. A series of spaced gears 124 are rotatably mounted on stationary vertical shafts 136 so as to mesh with rack teeth provided on element 109. Disposed parallel'with said element is a contour cam 137 having short racks 138 which are formed integral therewith and extend at right angles therefrom and are guided by suitable fixed guides (not shown) and respectively mesh with gears 124 (FIG. 1). The cam 137 has a contour profile 139 which is maintained in contact with a roller 152 rotatably mounted on a vertical axis on work carriage 160, by the constant leftward pressure of spring 123 against rack element 109.

Because roller 152 is mounted on a fixed vertical axis relative to the work carriage 160, this roller travels in a straight line parallel with swaging aXis 27 while work is being fed to machine 20 by mechanism 22. This causes the contour cam 137 to be shifted laterally outward or inward by each non-parallel portion of the contour profile 139 of said cam engaging said roller. These lateral movements of cam 137 are transmitted through short racks 138 and gears 124 to rack element 109, the sharp edged left end of which bears against the stylus arm 92, with the result that stylus arm 92 is shifted leftward or rightward from its neutral position contemporaneously with and by precisely the same amount of distance as said cam is shifted laterally by its engagement with roller 152.

As previously pointed out, this causing of stylus arm 92 to shift leftward or rightward from its neutral position a given distance whenever element 109 shifts in that direction that distance, produces an immediate reaction of the valve 32 which shifts the wedges 59 axially to restore arm 92 to its neutral position. This means that said wedges are shifted precisely the distance rack element 109 had been moved axially to produce this reaction of said valve.

It thus becomes manifest that, as the spacing of dies 87 from swaging axis 27 is controlled precisely by the adjustments thus made in the axial positions of wedges 59 in the housing 24, the spacing of the dies 87 from axis 27 is caused to respond precisely, at each successive moment in the feeding of work to the machine 20, to the contact at that moment between the roller 152 and the contour profile 139 of cam 137. By careful design of the contour profile 139 of the cam 137 provided for each particular distinctive product to be manufactured in machine 20, that product may thus be invested automatically with a predetermined profile as it is fed between dies 87 of the machine.

The mechanism 22 also may include one or more suitable work-mandrel guides 175 (FIGS. land 3). These guides are supported on shafts 140 and are readily slidable therealong for repositioning from time to time during the operation of the swaging machine 20. They serve the purpose of guiding relatively long work pieces (and a mandrel if the latter should be disposed within said work piece) so as to prevent either the work piece or the mandrel from buckling while being fed under high pressure to the swaging machine 20.

Each of the work-mandrel guides 175 includes a main body member 176 having a thin walled bearing 177 providing a bore 178 which slidably fits one of the shafts 140.

Secured by a clamp screw 178 to the member 176 is an extensible body member 179 having a thin walled halfbearing 180. The screw clamp 178 extends through a slot 185 in the member 179 so that by relaxing said clamp, the half-bearing 180 may be retracted out of engagement with the other of said shafts and the en tire guide be allowed to hang from the shaft which the bearing 177 is mounted on. When the member 179 is extended to place the half-bearing 180 in bearing relation with said other shaft 140, however, and the screw clamp 178 is set to clamp the member 179 tightly to the member 176, a central upper surface 186 provided on the member 176 is disposed horizontally in a plane containing the swaging axis 27, and a half round channel 187, formed in said surface, is then concentric with said axis.

Fixed on member 176 by screws 188 is a bifurcated bracket 189 on which a bifurcated handle 190 is pivotally mounted at 191. The handle 190 normally stands upright and has a pair of links 192 pivoted at their upper ends thereon at 193 which links extend downwardly into pivotal relation at their lower ends with a normally horizontal bar 194 which slides within and is pivotally connected at to said bifurcated bracket 189. The free end of bar 194 overlies and is welded to a plate 200 which overlies and is secured by screws 201 to a block 202, the bottom face of which normally rests flush against the surface 186 of member 176 and is provided with a half round channel 203 which matches with the half round channel 187 to produce a cylindrical bore. When the handle 190 is swung about its pivot 191 against a pin 204 provided in bar 194, it causes the pivotal connections between lower ends of links 192 and the bar 194 to cross the line of dead centers between the centers of pivots 191 and 193 so as to clamp the block 202 against the surface 186. It is thus possible to trap within the bore formed by half round channels 187 and 203 a work piece alone or a work piece enclosing a mandrel.

When it is desired to open the clamp 205 comprised in the elements immediately hereinabove described, the handle 190 is swung away from the pin 204 which swings the bar 194 and block 202 upwardly into the dotted line position shown for these in FIG. 3. The return of the clamp 205 to its closed position as shown in full lines in FIG. 3 is accomplished merely by swinging the handle 190 back to its full line position as shown in that View.

OPERATION The swaging machine 20 is adapted to perform any of the multitude of different swaging jobs for which both rotary-head and non-rotary swaging machines have heretofore been used. It is customary practice to design and provide special tooling for each distinctive type of job and this practice will also be followed in the operation of swaging machine 20. The shapes of the swaging faces 88 of the dies 87 and of the contour cam 137 illustrated in the drawings in this application are arbitrarily chosen for illustrative purposes only and merely show one particular style of each of these tooling elements suitable for use in machine 20.

While this machine, as well as most swaging machines in use commercially, may be hand fed in certain simple types of swaging operations, it has been found preferable. for the more complex operations, to provide machine 20 with the feed and control mechanism 22 above described.

Where the outside diameter of a work piece is reduced by a swaging operation so that the length of the portion of reduced diameter is sufiicient to require support, it has been found advantageous to provide a work guide spool 206 having a tubular hub 207 and circular end flanges 208 which fit snugly into the bore 75 of the hollow stem 74 so as not to be readily displaced therefrom. The inside diameter of the tubular hub 207 is slightly over that of the section of reduced diameter of the work piece moving away from the dies so that it is kept straight at least until it passes out from the outer end of the guide spool 206. This renders it much easier to keep the swaged work piece straight by merely providing a supporting bench or conveyor roller just below the level of the swaging axis 27 and onto which the work is discharged as it leaves the swaging machine 20.

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 9 to 15 inclusive in which swaged work pieces are shown illustrating typical swaging operations performed by swaging machines and which swaging machine 20, described hereinabove, is adapted to perform.

FIG. 9, for instance, diagrammatically illustrates a work piece 209 which is a piece of tubular or bar stock with a uniform outside diameter and a substantial length of which has been reduced by swaging to a considerably lesser outside diameter. This view also illustrates the 9 maximum practical reduction angle which is found to be approximately 45.

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view of a work piece 210, also of either tubular or bar stock and originally with a uniform outside diameter, a substantial end portion of which has been lengthened by swaging to reduce the same to a uniform tapered configuration.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view of a work piece 215, comprising telescopically related pieces of tubing 216 and 217, which has been swaged to unite the two tubes by producing a concentric constriction 218 of the outside diameter of overlapping portions of said tubes.

FIG. 12 diagrammatically shows a work piece 219 comprising a tube of uniform outside diameter which has been subjected to a swaging operation to produce a venturi constriction 220 in said tube.

FIG. 13 diagrammatically shows a work piece 221 comprising a solid cylindrical rod of uniform outside diameter which has been swaged to reduce a portion thereof to square cross section. This piece of work would be produced in the swaging machine 20 by providing the latter with the proper dies having a combined opening with a square cross section and feeding the round stock, without rotating the same, the desired distance into the machine as the latter oscillates the dies and applies them to the work with a rapidly reciprocating squeezing action.

FIG. 14 diagrammatically illustrates a work piece 222 which is a piece of bar stock with a uniform square cross section and which has been swaged to reduce a portion of this to a uniform round cross section. This swaging operation would be performed in the swaging machine 20 in exactly the same manner as the operation shown in FIG. 13 excepting that the dies would be different and the work piece would be rotated so as to have a net finished cylindrical cross section which would reduce the work piece 222 to a round rod as shown in this view.

FIG. 15 illustrates a Work piece 223 which comprises a piece of relatively heavy tubular stock which has been swaged by the swaging machine by introducing said stock into said machine with a helical land forming mandrel disposed within the stock and swaging the work piece into intimate configuration with said land forming mandrel so as to produce a rifle barrel having lands 224 as illustrated in the end view of FIG. 15.

Other configurations this machine is capable of produc ing with suitable dies and/or mandrels are: straight or spiral splines on shaft ends, straight or spiral fins for heat transfer on tubes, inside, outside or both, swaging solid or tubular metals to a point, swaging to any polygonal or rectangular configuration.

The preferred way of swaging to produce internal fluting, splines, or rifting is to anchor the mandrel (with detailed end protruding into the throat area of the dies) to the rear or drive end of the machine, slip the work piece over the mandrel, grip the work piece in the chuck, start the machine with the dies open, close the dies and then withdraw the material away from the machine head while rotating the work. In this operation, the mandrel anchoring means is provided with an anti-friction thrust bearing to permit it to rotate freely.

The recesses 85 provided in one side wall of each of the blind guide channels 43 are to accommodate the inner end portions of the toggle links 95 when these are defiected a maximum amount from radial alignment as shown in FIG. 7. This condition occurs at one extreme of each oscillation of the die holder 72. At the other extreme of each oscillation the links 95 are in radial alignment with the other elements of assemblies 89 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

The recesses 86 are provided in the other side walls of channels 43 to also accommodate a shifting of the inner portions of the links 95 in the opposite direction to that shown in FIG. 7 where the amplitude of oscillatory motion imparted by motor 21 to arm 126 is doubled, as by doubling the radius of the eccentric 130, and making the proper adjustment in the effective length of connecting rod 128, so that the radial alignment of the links as shown in FIG. 6, occurs at the mid-point of each oscillation of die holder 72.

This arrangement doubles the number of squeezing actions per revolution of eccentric shaft 131 and correspondingly speeds up the output of machine 20.

It is also to be noted that, without changing the throw of the eccentric 130, but merely by adjusting the effective length of the connecting rod 128, the links 95 may be caused to swing equal distances in opposite directions from dead center (FIG. 6) and thus deliver two swaging actions on the work during each revolution of eccentric shaft 131. In this case each swaging action will represent a radial reciprocation of dies 87 over a distance considerably less than half that illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7.

Notwithstanding the advantages of automatically controlling the etfective working diameter of the dies 87 through the profile cam-controlled means 31, there are many swaging jobs for the performance of which in machine 20, manual control of the dies is requisite in at least a portion of the swaging operation. One expedient for effecting such manual control is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 in a nut 153 which the rounded end portion 121 of rack element 109 is threaded to receive whereby nut 153 may be manually screwed up against bracket 122 to determine the position to which spring 123 will shift said rack element leftward which, in turn will produce a particular adjustment of the working diameter of the dies. If contact between the roller 152 and cam 137 should interfere with attaining the desired manual die adjustment, the roller 152 may, for the time being, be removed from the pin on which it is mounted on carriage 160.

An alternate expedient for manually controlling the die spacing is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 in a manually controlled hydraulic system 230 for actuating motor 117. It includes a manually rotatable valve 231 which receives pressure liquid from a two way valve 232 interposed in the branch of pressure line 149 connecting to hose 62 and optionally directs this liquid through pipes 234 or 235 to one or the other of two way valves 236 and 237 interposed in lines 107 and 108, respectively. The valve 231 is connected by a pipe 238 to the reservoir 148.

Valve 232 is a two position valve in one of which it directs pressure liquid to valve 32 and in the other of which it directs pressure liquid to valve 231. The valves 236 and 237 are two position valves in one of which they connect valve 32 with motor 117 and in the other of which they connect valve 231 with said motor. Rotating valve 231 clockwise directs liquid through line 108 to motor 117 and connects line 197 with reservoir 148. Anticlockwise rotation of valve 231 reversely directs liquid through motor 117 and to reservoir 143. When two way valves 232, 236 and 237 are turned to render the automatic die control system 31 operative, they render the manual die control system 230 inoperative, and vice versa.

A dial micro-measuring device 2 50 (FIG. 1) may be employed for visually indicating the precise amount of each adjustment in the effective working diameter of dies 87 by mounting such device on housing 24 so as to be responsive to horizontal changes in position of one of the wedges 59. By visual reference to the device 246 the operator may know when he has precisely produced any particular desired adjustment of the dies 87 by use of the manual control system 230.

From the foregoing disclosure it will be manifest that the present invention fulfills the objects outlined in the preamble with the following advantages: it provides a squeezing vibratory die swaging action which minimizes the hammering of the dies against the work; it effects this action through large area bearings and massive pressure transmitting toggle links, thereby minimizing wear and maintenance costs and increasing the positive effectiveness of the swaging action of the dies on the work;

it provides a simple, and quickly demountabl'e means of replacing dies in the machine when changing from one product to another; it provides means for protecting the work from buckling when this is being fed pressurally into the machine, as well as means for guiding work of greatly reduced cross section in a straight path as-it leaves the machine; it provides flow control valves for regulating the rate of rotation of the work as well as the respective rates at which work is fed to and withdrawin from the machine so that the rate of each may be set entirely independently from the rate of the other; it provides a system for automatically hydraulically controlling the minimum spacing of the die faces from the swaging axis from moment to moment during and in correlation wit-h the feeding of the work between the reciprocating dies whereby the work is invested with a precisely predetermined longitudinal profile; and, finally, it provides an optional manually controlled hydraulic means for precisely determining said die spacing during any desired part of the feeding of the work between the dies.

While only a single modification of the invention has been disclosed herein, it is to be understood that this is for illustrative purposes only and that various changes and modifications may be made in this specific machine without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a swaging machine, the combination of: a frame; an oscillating dial holder mounted on said frame for oscillation through a small angle about a central axis; a multiple of die guide means on said holder disposed in equi-angular radial relation with said axis; a multiple of dies having cooperative die faces and being guided by said guide means respectively whereby said dies, when moved inwardly, will converge on said axis to cause such die faces to cooperatively engage a piece of work centered on said axis; a multiple of toggle links one for each of said dies, for delivering compressive forces radial-1y inwardly from said frame to said dies; means for maintaining outer ends of said links pivotally associated with said frame, and inner ends of said links pivotally associated with said dies respectively; means for oscillating said die holder about said axis to simultaneously and repeatedly reciprocate said dies into and out of a squeezing swaging relation with said work; and means for uniformly varying the distances which the pivotal associations of the respective links with said frame are spaced from said central axis, said means being operable during a swaging operation to vary the spacing, from said central axis, of said dies and their die faces when the latter are in their inwardmost positions relative to said axis.

2. In a swaging machine, the combination of a frame; an oscillating die holder mounted on said frame for oscillation through a small angle about a central axis; a multiple of die guide means on said holder disposed in equi-angular radial relation with said axis; a multiple of dies having cooperative die faces and being guided by said guide means respectively whereby said dies, when moved inwardly, will converge on said axis to cause said die faces to cooperatively engage a piece of work centered on said axis; a multiple of toggle links, one for each of said dies, for delivering compressive forces radially inwardly from said frame to said dies; means for maintaining outer ends of said links pivotally associated with said frame, and inner ends of said links pivotally associated with said dies respectively; means for oscillating said die holder about said axis to simultaneously and repeatedly reciprocate said dies into and out of a squeezing swaging relation with said work, said Llinks being relatively short and massive and being provided at their opposite ends with substantially semi-cylindrical convex bearing surfaces; inner and outer concave bearing blocks fitting opposite ends of said links, said inner blocks engaging said dies and being guided radially by said die guide means; means for mounting said outer bearing blocks on said frame in radial alignment with said inner bearing blocks when said links are radially disposed; and means for yieldably holding in compressively assembled relation each die and the inner bearing block, the link, the outer bearing block and the adjacent portion of said frame associated radially with said die, whereby oscillation of said die holder produces simultaneous radial reciprocation of said dies.

3. A swaging machine as recited in claim 2 wherein a multiple of wedge means is provided one in each of said adjacent portions of said frame; and means for uniformly and concurrently actuating said wedge means to shift said outer bearing blocks radially on said frame to uniformly vary the minimum spacing from said central axis of said dies.

4. A swaging machine as recited in claim 2 wherein said yieldable means for holding each die compressively assembled with the elements above recited which are disposed radially outwardly from said die, comprises a flexible tension member, there being passages formed radially in said elements to accommodate said member with the inner end of the latter secured to said die in radial alignment with the center of mass of said die; and an expansive spring means bearing against said frame and coiled about each such tension member to yieldably hold said die and said elements radially associated therewith in compressively assembled relation.

5. A swaging machine as recited in claim 3 wherein said yieldable means for holding each die compressively assembled with the elements above recited which are disposed radially outwardly from said die, comprises a flexible tension member, there being passages formed radially in said elements to accommodate said member with the inner end of the latter secured to said die in radial alignment with the center of mass of said die; and an expansive spring means bearing against said frame and coiled about each such tension member to yieldably hold said die and said elements radially associated therewith in compressively assembled relation.

6. In a swaging machine, the combination of: a frame including a massive vertical housing having vertical facesv and a relatively .long massive bearing normal to and united with said housing and extending in one direction from approximately the center of one of said vertical faces of said housing, a deep cylindrical recess being provided in the opposite vertical face of said housing, said recess being concentric with said bearing, said last mentioned 'face also being provided with radial outer toggle bearing block guide channels which are blind at their outer ends at points a substantial distance inward from the periphery of said housing, said channels being equally spaced circumferentially about and communicating at their inner ends with said cylindrical recess; an annular plate secured to said housing to cover substantial inward portions of said guide channels; a shaft with a hollow bore journalling in said bearing; a cylindrical oscillating die holder provided on one end of said shaft to fit within said recess, the bore of said shaft continuing through said die holder; an annular plate secured to said die holder, said holder and plate providing radial die guide channels which are equal in number with said radial block guide channels and similarly spaced circumferentially; a multiple of die and toggle assemblies each of which is confined in a radially associated pair of block guide and die guide channels and includes a die and an inner toggle bearing block, which are radially slidable in the die guide channel, an outer toggle bearing block which is slidably mounted in the outer toggle bearing block guide channel, a toggle link which has convex semi-cylindrical bearing faces at its opposite ends, said blocks having concave bearing surfaces fitting said convex faces, and means to maintain the various elements of said assembly in contact with each other during the operation of said machine; an arm fixed on said shaft; and power means connected to said arm for rapidly oscillating said die holder to 13 produce a simultaneous radial reciprocation of said dies to swage a piece of work introduced axially between said dies with a squeezing action.

7. A swaging machine as recited in claim 6 wherein each of said outer toggle bearing blocks has a beveled outer face; a multiple of wedges, one of which is inserted into the blind end of each of said outer toggle bearing block channels, the angle of said wedge corresponding to the angle of said bevel; and means for uniformly translating said wedges parallel with said shaft to vary the minimum spacing of said dies from the axis of said shaft during the operation of said machine.

8. A swaging machine as recited in claim 7 wherein each of said wedges has a threaded stem, and said housing has a hole extending through said housing parallel with said shaft from the blind end of each of said block channels, said stems extending through said 'hole: tapped sprockets screwed onto said stems; means on said housing confining said sprockets against axial movement; an endless chain connecting said sprockets for uniform rotation; and power means for driving said chain to control said die spacing.

9. In a swaging machine, the combination of: a stationary frame; an oscillating die holder mounted on said frame; a multiple of dies radially slidably mounted on said holder; toggle links pivotally related at their inner ends to said dies and at their outer ends to said frame; means to oscillate said holder rapidly to cause said dies to reciprocate relative to the axis of oscillation of said holder and swage work fed between said dies with a squeezing action; and means for uniformly varying the radius at which said pivots, between the outer ends'of said toggle links and said frame, are located with reference to said axis of oscillation and doing this while said machine is in operation.

10. In a swaging machine, the combination of: a stationary frame; an oscillating die holder mounted on said frame; a multiple of dies radially slidably mounted on said holder; toggle links pivotally related at their inner ends to said dies and at their outer ends to said frame; means to oscillate said holder rapidly to cause said dies to reciprocate relative to the axis of oscillation of said holder and swage work fed between said dies with a squeezing action, said axis being disposed horizontally; a hollow shaft on which said die holder is mounted, the passage in which shaft continues through said holder to accommodate the work; and a work guide spool removably mounted in said passage, said spool having a tubular hub for keeping the work passing therethrough relatively straight, and radial fianges on said hub for centralizing the same in said passage.

11. In a swaging machine, the combination of: a stationary frame; an oscillating die holder mounted on said frame; a multiple of dies radially slidably mounted on said holder; toggle links pivotally related at their'inner ends to said dies and at their outer ends to said frame; means to oscillate said holder rapidly to cause said dies to reciprocate relative to the axis of oscillation of said holder and swage work that is fed between said dies with a squeezing action; a work-feeding mechanism for feeding and rotating the work between said dies, said mechanism including horizontal guide means providing a guide way which is parallel with said axis and approximately on the same level therewith and extends a substantial distance from said frame; a work feed carriage slidably supported on said guide way; means for translating said carriage along said guide Way toward and away from said frame; a work chuck supported on said carriage in concentric relation with said axis; power means on said carriage for rotation of said chuck; and control means for controlling the speed of translation of said carriage to feed work or withdraw the same from between said dies, and the speed of rotation of said work as it is being so fed.

12. In a swaging machine, the combination of: a stationary frame; an oscillating die holder mounted on said frame, a multiple of dies radially slidably mounted on said holder; toggle links pivotally related at their inner ends to said dies and at their outer ends to said frame; means to oscillate said holder rapidly to cause the dies to reciprocate relative to the axis of oscillation of said holder and swage work fed between said dies with a squeezing action; a work-feeding mechanism for feeding and rotating the work between said dies, said mechanism embodying means for automatically increasing and decreasing the minimum spacing of said dies from said axis coordinately with the feeding of said work between said dies to produce a predetermined contour on said work, said spacing-control means including axially shiftable wedges mounted on said frame for uniformly shifting radially the outer pivotal connections between said toggle links and said frame; means for axially shifting said wedges in unison; a pressure responsive control device for said shifting means; said device being mounted on one of said wedges; and contour defining means actuated by said work feeding means traveling toward said control device to apply varying pressures against said device to actuate the latter to control said wedge shifting means to cause said dies to produce on the work the contour defined as aforesaid.

13. In a swaging machine, the combination of: a stationary frame; an oscillating die holder mounted on said frame; a multiple of dies radially slidably mounted on said holder; toggle links pivotally related at their inner ends to said dies and at their outer ends to said frame; means to oscillate said holder rapidly to cause said dies to reciprocate relative to the axis of oscillation of said holder and swage work fed between said dies; wedge means axially shiftable on said frame to uniformly vary the minimum spacing of said dies from said axis; power means for accomplishing said shifting; a control device mounted on said wedge means and axially shiftable therewith, said device controlling said power means and being responsive to axial pressure thereagainst to cause axial movement of said wedge means and said device in the direction in which said pressure is applied; work feed means for feeding work along said axis to said dies; and means responsive to the feeding of said work to apply axial pressure as aforesaid to said device to produce vari ations in the uniform minimum spacing of said dies from said axis according to a predetermined pattern during the feeding of said work to cause said dies to produce in the profile of said work a predetermined configuration.

14. A swaging machine as recited in claim 13 wherein said work feed means include a work chuck, a feed carriage carrying said chuck with the latter rotatable upon said axis, means for rotating said chuck, means forming a guide way for said carriage parallel with said axis, and means for translating said carriage along said guide way; and wherein said axial pressure applying means includes a profile cam disposed parallel with said axis and slidably mounted for translation normal to said axis, said cam having a contoured edge reflecting the shape of said profile, a cam follower mounted on said carriage and translated with the latter while simultaneously traversing said edge in constant contact with the latter, means for shifting said cam transversely to maintain contact between said cam edge and said follower, and means for converting said transverse movement of said cam into axial movement and transmitting said axial movement pressurably against said control device to produce corresponding axial movements of said wedge means, as aforesaid.

15. A swaging machine as recited in claim 14 wherein said cam is provided with a plurality of racks extending transversely therefrom; a plurality of gears rotatable on fixed parallel axes and meshing with said racks, and a master rack element which meshes with all of said gears whereby transverse movement of said plurality of racks is converted into longitudinal movement of said element and is transmitted by the latter to said control device as aforesaid.

16. In a swaging machine, the combination of: a stationary frame; a die holder mounted on said frame; a multiple of dies radially slidably mounted on said holder; means causing said dies to reciprocate relative to the axis of said holder and swage work fed between said dies; wedge means axially shiftable to uniformly vary the minimum spacing of said dies from said axis; power means for accomplishing said shifting; a control'device mounted on said wedge means and axially shiftable therewith, said device controlling said power means and being responsive to axial pressure thereagainst to cause axial movement of said wedge means and said device in the direction said pressure is applied; work feed means for feeding work along said axis to said dies; and means responsive to the feeding of said work to apply axial pressure as aforesaid to said device to produce variations in the uniform spacings of said dies from said axis according to a predetermined pattern during the feeding of said work to cause said dies to produce, in the profile of said work a predetermined configuration.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD J. HERBST, Primary Examiner.

G. P. CROSBY,'Assis/ant Examiner. 

1. IN A SWAGING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION OF: A FRAME; AN OSCILLATING DIAL HOLDER MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR OSCILLATION THROUGH A SMALL ANGLE ABOUT A CENTRAL AXIS; A MULTIPLE OF DIE GUIDE MEANS ON SAID HOLDER DISPOSED IN EQUI-ANGULAR RADIAL RELATION WITH SAID AXIS; A MULTIPLE OF DIES HAVING COOPERATIVE DIE FACES AND BEING GUIDED BY SAID GUIDE MEANS RESPECTIVELY WHEREBY SAID DIES, WHEN MOVED INWARDLY, WILL CONVERGE ON SAID AXIS TO CAUSE SUCH DIE FACES TO COOPERATIVELY ENGAGE A PIECE OF WORK CENTERED ON SAID AXIS; A MULTIPLE OF TOGGLE LINKS ONE FOR EACH OF SAID DIES, FOR DELIVERING COMPRESSIVE FORCES RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM SAID FRAME TO SAID DIES; MEANS FOR MAINTAINING OUTER ENDS OF SAID LINKS PIVOTALLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FRAME, AND INNER ENDS OF SAID LINKS PIVOTALLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DIES RESPECTIVELY; MEANS FOR OSCILLATING SAID DIE HOLDER ABOUT SAID AXIS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY AND REPEATEDLY RECIPROCATE SAID DIES INTO AND OUT OF A SQUEEZING SWAGING RELATION WITH SAID WORK; AND MEANS FOR UNIFORMLY VARYING THE DISTANCES WHICH THE PIVOTAL ASSOCIATIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE LINKS WITH SAID FRAME ARE SPACED FROM SAID CENTRAL AXIS, SAID MEANS BEING OPERABLE DURING A SWAGING OPERATION TO VARY THE SPACING, FROM SAID CENTRAL AXIS, OF SAID DIES AND THEIR DIE FACES WHEN THE LATTER ARE IN THEIR INWARDMOST POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID AXIS. 